Hey, it's hopeless and that's a good thing
Well, I certainly didn't stay back. In a way I have nothing much to say--in another way I have a lot to say and have been saying it elsewhere.
I see two things that are more obvious today than they were a few months ago: 1) a dramatic increase in what I call "radical unconsciousness" which is a kind of deliberate and unrelenting quest for less information and less understanding; 2) among those who care about urgents social, political and ecological issues there is a noticeable sense of hopelessness--while activists continue to work (it is their lives) I see little evidence that anyone seriously thinks there is any chance for anything resembling a compassionate agenda, let alone a non-corrupt agenda.
Most people literally can't see that the emperor has no clothes and are arguing with great passion about whether the clothes are flamboyant or conservative. Those that see the truth are falling into despair. I'm sorry to say this but the situation is indeed completely hopeless. In reality this is a good thing. Sometimes hope and aspiration for some "better" future keeps us from seeing the truth of this very moment. When you have no hope you don't look forward you have no choice but to be in the present. While I think that this may be good for each of us as individuals socially it may be a good thing as well. Primarily because as people will begin to lose interest in rather abstract issues that don't directly involve us (the Iraq War, for example, will not effect most of us in a direct way) so that we can start to free ourselves up for more interesting social interaction with people we feel drawn to (assuming we can de-hypnotize ourselves from the mass-media).
I am not saying that we need to ignore what is going on around us, rather we need to accept the reality of what we see which is that the rich and powerful own the world and are not accountable to us. Democraacy is dead if elections cannot be honest and political parties don't represent the interests of the people since Congressional districts are so gerrymandered that almost every seat is safe with returns equivalent to the old Soviet system with about as much difference in the candidates as in the Soviet system. I am making this broad statement without offering much proof because I don't have time to do that--you can check it out for yourselves. Small groups are what we need to emphasize--national action is pointless since the system is rigged and the information most people receive is so widely at odds with reality that most people are so deeply confused that speaking to them or providing information to them is a meaningless act. Get your family and friends together and enjoy.
I see two things that are more obvious today than they were a few months ago: 1) a dramatic increase in what I call "radical unconsciousness" which is a kind of deliberate and unrelenting quest for less information and less understanding; 2) among those who care about urgents social, political and ecological issues there is a noticeable sense of hopelessness--while activists continue to work (it is their lives) I see little evidence that anyone seriously thinks there is any chance for anything resembling a compassionate agenda, let alone a non-corrupt agenda.
Most people literally can't see that the emperor has no clothes and are arguing with great passion about whether the clothes are flamboyant or conservative. Those that see the truth are falling into despair. I'm sorry to say this but the situation is indeed completely hopeless. In reality this is a good thing. Sometimes hope and aspiration for some "better" future keeps us from seeing the truth of this very moment. When you have no hope you don't look forward you have no choice but to be in the present. While I think that this may be good for each of us as individuals socially it may be a good thing as well. Primarily because as people will begin to lose interest in rather abstract issues that don't directly involve us (the Iraq War, for example, will not effect most of us in a direct way) so that we can start to free ourselves up for more interesting social interaction with people we feel drawn to (assuming we can de-hypnotize ourselves from the mass-media).
I am not saying that we need to ignore what is going on around us, rather we need to accept the reality of what we see which is that the rich and powerful own the world and are not accountable to us. Democraacy is dead if elections cannot be honest and political parties don't represent the interests of the people since Congressional districts are so gerrymandered that almost every seat is safe with returns equivalent to the old Soviet system with about as much difference in the candidates as in the Soviet system. I am making this broad statement without offering much proof because I don't have time to do that--you can check it out for yourselves. Small groups are what we need to emphasize--national action is pointless since the system is rigged and the information most people receive is so widely at odds with reality that most people are so deeply confused that speaking to them or providing information to them is a meaningless act. Get your family and friends together and enjoy.
posted by Christopher | 5:49 PM
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